Teaching & Outreach Information

Have a question about astronomy? If so, an AQuAnaut can answer it for you.

A false color image of the planet Saturn taken with the LMO 26" refractor and the SBIG ST-8 teaching CCD camera. I took this image while testing the camera for use in our laboratory courses.

• ASTR 313 uses the ST-8 CCD camera and other instruments for night sky laboratories.
• The Astronomical Society of the Pacific maintains a list of astronomy education websites.

Outreach Activities:

The Department of Astronomy at the University of Virginia performs many K-12 and Community Outreach activities, including our very popular Public Night program. Examples of outreach activities I have participated in include:

• Visiting DC Public Schools as part of the Challenger Science Center Window on the Universe program.
• Giving a seminar during Space and Astronomy Day 2000 at UVa
• Classroom demonstration of operating an 8" telescope
• Classroom lectures on meteorites, comets, and astronomical observations
• Discussing astronomy careers during a high school's Career Day
• Afternoon and evening tours of the McCormick Observatory
• Sunspot observing laboratories for summer enrichment program students
• Speaking on astronomical topics on the WINA radio program, "Charlottesville Live"

If you are interested in having someone from the Department of Astronomy visit your classroom or if you are interested in setting up a field trip to our observatory, please email me.

I'm unfortunately retired from the TA game. However, if you're feeling nostalgic for the 1995-1997 academic years, you can check out some of my old TA/Instructor webpages.

Some helpful(?) information for my (vintage 1996-1997) ASTR 212 discussion section.

Here is the Summer Session 1996 home for ASTR 348.

Here is a (probably somewhat outdated) list of email addresses for the various REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) programs offered around the country.